1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a medical diagnostic imaging technique.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, virtual reality technologies have been introduced in the medical field. For the surgical field, operation simulation has been developed, in which surgeons conduct a virtual operation on a trial basis, assuming various techniques and approaches based on the condition of a patient in a preoperative plan. In, for example, conducting endoscopic surgery or using an angiographic imaging apparatus which senses an X-ray fluoroscopic images of the blood flow in blood vessels in which a contrast medium has been injected and allows a doctor to observe and diagnose the image, as in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-81569, an operator wearing a head mounted display conducts an operation or makes a diagnosis while observing both a catheter insertion portion and a fluoroscopic image. The above-described system using a virtual reality technology or a head mounted display is sufficiently effective for operation simulation that also serves as a practice or for training of new-fledged doctors.
In a real operation, test, or diagnosis, the operator must be able to instantaneously observe the state or operative field of a patient when his/her condition has taken a sudden turn for the worse, or any trouble has occurred. That is, primary importance to the system is safety in an actual scene more than operability and convenience.
However, if the patient's condition has taken a sharp turn for the worse, or trouble has occurred during diagnosis, the fluoroscopic image displayed on the head mounted display is obstructive.